Fashion Icons of the 1930's

The Stars that Brought Beauty into Where There was Only Depression

The 1930’s was an ironic period in the field of fashion. The depression called for women tailoring their old clothes, yet the middle of the decade brought an elegant, almost regal style to those who could afford it. The thirties graced us with legendary beauty icons, such as Bette Davis, Jean Harlow, Josephine Baker and Vivien Leigh. This article offers short biographies of those 1930 fashion icons and briefly discusses how each one influenced women for generations to come.

Bette Davis:
Who among us hasn’t heard the famous “She’s got Bette Davis Eyes”? Miss Bette Davis was born Ruth Elizabeth Davis on was born April 5, 1908 in Lowell, Massachusetts. The world mourned her passing on October 6, 1989 in France from cancer. When she first came on the scene, she was not viewed as a gorgeous glamorous star. Among a host of others, she actually stared in a movie entitled “Fashions of 1934” where she played “Lynn Mason” an assistant to a bootlegger selling Paris Fashions. It is said that her tombstone reads "She did it the hard way". She started a wave of starlets that were not classically beautiful but still had that “something about them” The fashion world is forever indebted to the woman with those “teasing” eyes.

Jean Harlow:
“Her hair is Harlow gold” How can we talk about Miss Davis’s eyes without mentioning the other legend that is attributed to in the famous song? She began the trend of “Blonde Bombshells” that is still going strong in Hollywood today. Born Harlean Carpenter on March 3, 1911 in Kansas City, Missouri, she can be solely credited for starting the peroxide revolution with her platinum blonde locks. She was the first actress to appear on the cover of Life Magazine an though she passed away on June 7, 1937 at the young age of 26, there are over 35 movies that you can watch after you “Slip into something more comfortable”